North Carolina State University is
a land-grant university and a
constituent institution of The
University of North Carolina
February 6, 2007
Professor John Z. Smith
Statistics Department Search Committee
Department of Statistics
University of Transylvania
Transylvania, PA 12345
College of Physical and
Mathematical Sciences
Department of Statistics
209G Patterson Hall
Campus Box 8203
Raleigh, NC 27695
919.515.1921
919.515.1169 (fax no.)
Dear Professor Smith:
I am a doctoral student in the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University. I
would like to apply for the tenure track assistant professor position advertised on your
department website. Currently, I am completing my dissertation on statistical inference
for werewolf data under the supervision of Professor Roger Berger, and I expect to receive my
Ph.D. in Statistics in the summer of 2003.
My dissertation research involves the development of a new hierarchical model framework for
the analysis of data from studies of the existence and movement of werewolves. The analysis
of these data is complicated by the fact that werewolves undergo sporadic transformations
between their human and wolf forms, rendering existing methods for population sampling
inappropriate. In my work I develop a hierarchical latent variable representation that takes this
feature into account. I have already submitted one paper summarizing aspects of this research
to Biometrics, and I recently received an ENAR Student Travel Award for this paper. I am
currently preparing a second paper based on my dissertation; my attached Research Statement
gives further details on this work and my plans for future efforts after I receive my degree.
As my curriculum vitae indicates, I have considerable experience in both teaching and
collaboration. I have taught ST 311, ``Introduction to Statistics,'' for three semesters, and I
have received excellent teaching evaluations. I have also served as a Graduate Industrial
Trainee at GlaxoSmithKline in Research Triangle Park since Fall of 2004, where I work in the
clinical biostatistics department. In 2003, I was awarded the Gertrude Cox prize for the top
performance on the Department qualifying exam.
The position at University of Transylvania is especially attractive to me because of the
department's strengths in both methodological and collaborative research. I am particularly
excited about the Department's ties to the Department of Zoology and the Center for
Vampire Research, as I believe my background would allow me to make substantial
contributions to the efforts of the Center.
I am enclosing my curriculum vitae, my statements on research and teaching, and a copy of my
recent Biometrics submission. An official transcript will follow under separate cover. I have
asked Professors Dennis Boos, Sastry Pantula, and Leonard Stefanski to send
recommendation letters directly to you; contact information for these references is also
enclosed.
Thank you for your consideration. Please contact me by e-mail (jqstuden@stat.ncsu.edu) or
phone 919-512-1234 if you require further information. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Jane Q. Student
Ph.D. Candidate in Statistics